One of the main differences between Microsoft Stores and Apple Stores in the U.S. is the fact that Microsoft stores sell devices made by other manufacturers such as HTC and Nokia. Apple only sells its own primary hardware such as smartphones, tablets, and notebook computers although it sells accessories made by other manufacturers.

Financial Times now reports that Microsoft is been in talks with property owners in the UK to open new retail stores next year.

Microsoft is confident that it can open its first UK stores in 2013, however, the final decision is dependent on an assessment of how well Microsoft Stores in the U.S. are performing. Microsoft has offered no official statement on the possibility of opening retail stores in the UK at this time.

One key benefit of Microsoft retail stores in the UK would be the ability for the stores to offer classes to train users on Microsoft software and hardware – a service it offers in its current U.S. stores.

I was in BestBuy last week to look at the Windows 8 stuff. None of the Win 8 phones were on. They all had those dumb “pretend they are on stickers” on them. I could play with no fewer then 4 working Galaxy III’s, and zero Win 8 pones. Fail.

So then I go to look at laptops. They’re still selling Win 7 machines for some reason. Those should have been banished the day Win 8 launched. Then I looked at the Win 8 machines. There’s NO touchscreens! Oh wait, yes there are 2. They are unlabeled, and mixed in with the rest. THE killer feature for Win 8, and they can’t be bothered to advertise it. Huge Fail.

OK, well how about the convertibles everyone’s talking about. The Lenovo Yoga is sweet, lets check that out. Hmmm, can’t find it anywhere. I ask, they guy looks around for 5 minutes before finding it in the sea of laptops. This is possibly THE best Win 8 machine out there right now and it’s just sitting there, looking like all the other laptops. Again no advertising to say what it does, or why I might want it. I’d have never known it COULD convert unless I had read about it before. Huge fail. That thing should be surrounded by blinking lights screaming LOOK AT ME!Then I go over to the MacBook stand, it’s on a nice solid wood table (not cheap plastic like the others), the display table is clean and uncluttered, and everything just looks..…perfect. I mean you just look at the display, and you want to pull your pants down and get arrested on that table. You don’t even need to try them, you just FEEL these things are the best thing ever. Everyhting about them screams awesome. The machines are gorgeous, the display is perfect, and the machines are $1500 and up, and I don’t give a crap. I just want one.

If Win 8 fails, it’s going to be because retailers like Best Buy don’t give two hoots about selling them. Microsoft’s lousy advertising won’t help it either. Apple shows a finger playing the piano on an iPad and my wife turns to me and says “cool!”, and the best Microsoft can do is a singing girl in zebra pants doing the chicken dance in a tile? Really?!

But for Microsoft, HP, Lenovo, ASUS, etc it's a catastrophe. So far only Microsoft seems to be acting at all. If HP and Lenovo can't mandate special treatment like Apple does then they're done. Acer, etc. They've all been outplayed by apple.

Cell phones are the same. There's always iphones in one section, and smartphones in another.

... you don't think Apple PAYS to have their products displayed separately?

Apple supplies their signature table, train the staff that handle Apple products and pays for the real estate which the products are displayed.

As an aside, it used to be a hardware game "look at the shiny good looking Apple computer" vs the black or beige plastic generic PC's. Now with Microsoft turning their backs on everyone used to using the Windows GUI, people are flocking in droves to Apple.

I would have to agree with that for the most part. It has been a long time since I have walked into any store selling PC goods and there was someone knowledgeable. And besides the local FRYS, most places dont have a very good selection either.